[canis,]

We recently got an urgent call from the local authorities. It seems that they were called in after a recent sighting of a very skinny, odd-looking horse left out in the freezing cold. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered a huge Kleeare stable to be abandoned. The Kleeare were simply left, some in the pasture, some trapped in their stalls. And all extremely emaciated. We responded quickly, arriving at the stable and assessing the condition of each Kleeare. The sight shocked us, but we did not fret. We brought each one of the Kleeare back to our place, where they were evaluated by our veterinarian. Some cases were more extreme than others, but all of them had the chance to be saved. That's where you step in...

This Kleeare seems to be a bit off. Our vet discovered that he is deaf, likely due to an ear infection or trauma.

Username; DuskzeHedgie
Name;
Gender;
Coat Colour; Dappled Grey
Genotype; Ee/aa/Gg/dpdp/frfr/StRm

[duskze]

Omg they're so gorgeous!! Thank you so much! <33

Challenge Tracker Form

Kleeare Name; Ace of Spades
Gender; Male

#1; The First Meeting

I stood at the edge of the fence, the winter breeze nipping at my face as I waited. I had on my best coat, beige with a fluffy white rim around the hood. It did a good job keeping the chill out, along with my long-sleeved cotton sweater, thick jeans, black leather boots, and a purple scarf. -I loved wearing scarves. My curvy brown hair was a complete mess from the wind, but I didn't care. I was about to meet him.
It took another twenty minutes, not that I minded. I would've stood there all day for this. When the truck finally came driving up the road I could barely contain my excitement. I had so much nervous energy I felt like breaking into a tap dance. When the car, trailer in tow, came to a stop in front of the barn a man with kindly eyes and a cowboy-themed outfit stepped out of it. "Hey there," he said with a wave, "be right with you. Let me get him." I nodded, doing my best not to look impatient, and glanced around the landscape to distract myself.
As far as winter days go, this one was beautiful. The sky was a milky blue with only the faintest traces of clouds to the west, the grass was a dull green, not quite brown yet, the leafless trees were dark and bold against the pale backdrop, and the air had a crisp freshness that promised frost was on the way. With any luck we would have snow in a couple of weeks. Another perfect white Christmas.
Or at least, it would be perfect. Now that I had him.
I heard the clip-clop of hooves descending out of the trailer bed and I inched around the side to peek. What I saw made my heart break.
He would have been so handsome, so majestic, if he hadn't been so poorly treated. His dappled coat was in tatters, hanging loose enough on his frame that I could see the ribs and hip bones under his fur. His mane and tail were ragged, his ears were pinned flat, and he seemed thoroughly exhausted. I couldn't decide whether to be sad or angry, I was too shocked to pick one.
“Careful now,” The man murmured as he lead the Kleeare over to me. “This boy is deaf. He's been through a lot, just be real gentle.” He smiled encouragingly and I slowly held out my hand toward the stallion's muzzle. Please like me. I willed silently. The horse seemed more or less disinterested, gazing up at me with big sad green eyes.
“Don't worry.” I told him and patted his nose softly, not caring if he could hear me or not. “I'll fix you right up, I promise. You'll be better in no time.”

#2; Welcome Home

I took the lead rope from the man and thanked him for coming. He gave several guidelines and tips for caring for emaciated horses, said he'd be back in a few days to check our progress, then returned to his car and drove off to make more deliveries. Apparently there were more than a few horses in need of special attention this week.
“Come on, boy.” I tugged gently on the halter and he trudged along without complaint. This poor guy looked like he needed a bath, bucket of oats, and a good night's sleep pronto.
As we entered the barn his head bobbed up worriedly and we had to pause while I patted him reassuringly. I guess it was a lot to take in at once.
From the outside the barn was pretty simple looking, ashen brown in color and on the slightly rustic side. Not too big, not too small, with a gravel track leading to the entrance. On the inside it was much more up to date, with concrete floors kept nice and tidy, fresh hay for bedding, and newly replaced stall doors that alternated in colors from mossy green to maroon red. Nothing too bright or flashy, just enough to add a decorative touch. There was a wall on the far right with brushes and grooming equipment, while the left wall had halters and bridles. Almost everything was new. There hadn't been another horse in here for a long time, but I'd gotten the stables primed and ready just for him.
When he had settled down I brought him to his stall, right hand side towards the middle where it would be warmest. I pulled the forest-y green door open and, with quite a bit of coaxing, managed to get him inside. The water bucket was filled fresh and I'd put a few oats in the feed bin just for this situation. In a minute he was nibbling and drinking contentedly, leaving me to tether him up without a problem.
So far, so good.

#3; A Spoonful of Sugar

While the Kleeare was munching on his snack, I went to the end of the barn to check on his supplies. When I'd signed up to be a caretaker the handlers had sent me a list of medications and other important items I might need, all of which I'd gathered. Since this guy was only deaf and didn't have any open wounds or viruses to worry about, that made considerably fewer treatments necessary. Some good news, but it definitely didn't exclude him entirely.
I picked up one of the bottles and opened it to take a wary sniff. Yuck that was unpleasant. How could I get him to eat it?
I paced around the barn for a few minutes, thinking through the possibilities. Most people hid medicine in food, although I was pretty sure I didn't have anything that tasted strong enough to mask this stuff. Plus the horse would smell the acrid scent no matter what I put it in.
Wait a minute, I remembered. Isn't taste like 80% smell?
I rubbed my hands together as a plan began to form. I had no idea if it would really work or not- guess there was only one way to find out.
I dashed out of the barn and ran to the house to get what I needed, returning a few short minutes later with a plate of strawberries, a towel, and a jar of soap.
Bubble-bath. It was my favorite kind of gel; gentle on the skin, not overly pungent, and it always came with the best aromas. In this case, strawberry.
When I got to the stall I slipped the right dose of medicine into the strawberries. I'd already sliced off the tops and hollowed them out a teensy bit. Once the medicine was in I just put the caps back on. I had to carefully keep them upright to avoid spilling. Otherwise they looked completely innocent.
“Okay, boy, ready for some treats?” I asked, (rather pointlessly since he was deaf.) The Kleeare perked up a bit at seeing me, obviously very interested in what I brought. Before he could get too close to the strawberries, I opened the bottle of soap and carefully smeared a little on the end of his nose. Apparently it smelled pretty great, his tongue lolled out and I had to hold his muzzle to keep him from lapping it up. “Oh, no you don't. Soap isn't good for horses. You know what's much better for horses? Strawberries.” I held one out in my hand for him to see. In the blink of an eye it disappeared into his mouth. Without realizing it I was holding my breath, hoping my crazy plan would work.
And it did.
No complaining or wincing or suspicion on the horses part as far as I could tell. Success!
Without waiting for the possibility of aftertaste, I quickly fed him the rest. After those were finished he went sniffing around my pockets for more. By now everything was smelling like strawberries. I gently wiped the bubblebath off his nose with the towel, which he then almost tried to eat. At least taking his meds wouldn't be an issue.

#4; Making Friends

Over the next few days a routine began to emerge as I cared for the Kleeare. In the mornings we went for slow walks around the pastures, at noon we went back to the stables for lunch, after which I gave him his medicine using the strawberry bubblebath method, then I gave him a good rub down before leaving him to get plenty of rest. It hadn't been very long, but I could swear the sheen was returning to his coat already. His mood had done a little improving although not as much as I hoped. If I wasn't around he spent most of the time brooding in his stall, hanging his head and looking bored. There wasn't much I could do about that, he needed to relax and recover for the moment and I couldn't spend every waking second with him unfortunately. After the fifth day is when something interesting happened to abate the issue.
I went up to the barn just after sunrise, as I'd gotten in the habit of doing, and found with alarm that I'd left the door hanging open. I started to run, my mind instantly worrying about a hundred things that might've happened. How cold was it last night? Could he have caught a chill? Did I forgot to latch the stall too? What if he'd gotten out?
I made it inside and was startled into gasping by what was there. In the middle of the isle, standing right next to my Kleeare's stall was a yellow-colored doe, no more than four feet tall, with fluffy ears, legs and tail. Apparently she was just as surprised at me as I was at her, because she instantly went running to the end of the barn and ducked into an empty stall to hide.
I covered my mouth in a shocked gesture, barely noticing when my boy rumbled a hello. A deer? In the barn? How was I going to get it out? Was it safe to have deer near horses? Wild animals could carry all kinds of things, right?
I scratched my head. There was only one way in the barn. I could try getting around the other side of the stalls and shooing it, but I didn't want to spook her again. Maybe it would leave on it's own if I went out?
I got my Kleeare out of his stall, figuring I might as well keep our routine going. There wasn't anything edible around except hay, and I couldn't think of a way a little doe like that could ruin any equipment meant to be around horses. We'd go for a long walk. If it hadn't left by then...
I worried about it most of the morning as we took the long way through the pasture. Was an hour enough time? Should we go 'round again?
In the end my curiosity was too much and we headed back to check. I exhaled a breath of relief when I saw her grazing about twenty feet out to the left side of the barn. As long as I actually remembered to shut the stables next time, she would probably move on without a shelter. Crisis averted.
I took my boy back to his stall and rubbed behind his ears, halfway thinking about all the stuff I might need to clean just in case. Floors, brushes, and feeding bins for instance. Of course, if I was going to spend the afternoon scrubbing down the stalls I probably needed to give him his medicine now, since the whole trick depended on smell and if most of the barn smelled like cleaner, it might not work so well.
I walked to the end of the barn to get it ready, taking out the strawberries and soap. Luckily I'd put the strawberries away in a cabinet where hungry critters couldn't get to them. With supplies in hand, I turned around to go back to the stall, and my mouth fell open.
The deer was back, right in the middle of the isle just like before, her adorable fuzzy ears flicking. My Kleeare had his head leaning out of the stall and they were sniffing at each other curiously.
Nice going, I thought to myself. I guess I'd have to shut the door every time now.
When I came over she retreated into an adjacent stall again. This time I could see her curling up in a pile of bedding. How was I supposed to shoo this thing when it had gotten all comfortable?
I'd have to come up with a plan.
I was still holding the medicine supplies. I figured I might as well feed the Kleeare first.
It went as it usually did, he'd try to eat the soap and I'd distracted him with strawberries instead. Then he'd try to eat the towel. I started keeping a few extra strawberries in my pockets just in case I needed to occupy him longer. Good thing today he seemed more relaxed, it didn't take much to keep him behaved. He was doing a lot more nickering though... At first I thought he was talking to me, but the second I opened the stall to leave I came face-to-face (or more like face-to-stomach since she was short) with the doe, who had apparently been waiting just out of sight. I stood as rigid as a tree as she came up to sniff my fingers. Her eyes were a gentle brown and she had the cutest button nose that wriggled while she inspected me. Did deer like strawberries?
Slowly as a glacier, I took an extra out of my pocket and held it toward her. She ate right out of my palm with delicate nibbles.
Aww. Why did I want her to leave again?
When she finished with the snack she waltzed right into my Kleeare's stall and snuggled against the hay by his feet. They looked so contented together; he was even nuzzling her ears.
Well, I thought, that settles that.

1000 words exactly. oops.

#5; Exercise Routine

Almost a week had passed since the doe came to live in the stables. I'd made up her own stall with another water bucket and feed bin, although she preferred to graze outside. I'd also called in a vet to check the situation, (I wasn't taking any chances), and she assured me the arrangement was fine. I was surprised to find out that the deer wasn't really that wild at all. Evidently there were a number of breeders around here, (people breed deer? Now that was news to me) and she was almost certainly a stray. Which would also explain why she wasn't that scared of humans. The vet said she would ask around for the proper owner but with this much field and pasture around it was unlikely they'd find her real home any time soon. That was fine by me though; we were all getting along so splendidly, I didn't want to send her away now.
The Kleeare was doing significantly better, especially with a friend. His form was filling in nicely, he had more energy, and he wasn't doing anymore moping around. Our morning walks had been moving faster and lasting longer. Yesterday he still seemed ready to go even as I put him back in his stall.
It was time, I decided, that he started getting some real exercise.
Riding sadly wasn't an option for now. He was deaf, and I didn't have any training for riding deaf horses. Half of the cues I knew were verbal. That wasn't going to work.
Lunging then? It might not be particularly exciting, but he'd definitely enjoy the chance to let lose a little.
I tacked him up and lead him down to the corral, the lunge line over my shoulder. He seemed especially eager to get going. I had to speed-walk to keep up with him. Oh yeah, he really needed a good run.
Once inside I barely got the line hooked up before he took off at a hearty gallop, tossing his mane and stretching his legs. It was quite a sight, considering how ill and depressed he'd been when he first got here. I felt a swell of pride. I'd made a promise, and I was keeping it.

#6; Final Evaluation

By the end of the month he was nearly as good as new. He was lunging for twice as long now, he had finished off the last of his pills, (much to his chagrin in fact. I was forced to keep the daily strawberry treats as part of our routine so he wouldn't get cross with me), and his appetite had increased considerably. I was excited. He was in great shape for the final evaluation today. Of course, I was also a bit nervous, but I tried not to show it.
That morning I went out even earlier than usual so I could give him a good brush down before the man from the association got there. I even put a couple ribbons in his mane. He looked downright adorable.
I lead him outside just as the blue pick-up from before came down the drive. My nervousness instantly tripled.
“Hello again.” The same friendly cowboy exited the car and walked over to us with a polite tip of his hat. “My, my. Someone's doing a lot better.” The horse nickered as the man patted him on the nose. “Well then, let's have a look at you.”
I felt like I was standing on pins and needles during the whole inspection. What did he think? Did I do a good job? Was the Kleeare really fairing as well as I thought?
His expression gave nothing away.
“Would you mind showing me your routine?”
I was pretty much worried speechless, so I nodded in response.
We started with a brief tour of the stables, then out for his exercise, and then ended with lunch. Every once in a while the handler would ask questions about the barn, or the equipment, or his eating habits, and I'd answer thoroughly. Otherwise it went pretty quickly and mostly in silence.
When the show and tell was over we stood outside the barn, with me fidgeting curiously as to what his assessment would be.
To my utter relief, he gave a thumbs up.
“Right as reign as far as I can see. He's made an excellent recovery, you did just fine. I can't see any reason why he shouldn't stay on in his new home permanently.”
It probably wasn't very professional looking, but I didn't care- I leaped for joy with a happy squee. “Thank you thank you! I'll keep doing my absolute best to take care of him.” I was completely giddy.
“There is one thing though.”
The comment made me freeze.
“What's that?”
“His name. You haven't told me his name.”
My mind raced. Since I wasn't sure if I'd ultimately be able to keep him, I hadn't completely decided on one yet. I glanced back at the barn. There was one.. Thinking about it now, it really was my favorite for some reason.
“Ace.” I smiled.
“Ace of Spades.”